Kyojiro's ears rang from the sheer sensory overload. His body pulsed with pain — his bones creaked under his very skin.
He shook his head, his hazy vision slowly recovering back to normal. 'What was that…' he questioned himself.
Yet the answer lay in front of him. His Sharingan saw through the Jonin in an instant — the man was looking at a pile of dead bodies. 'Children,' Kyojiro grimaced.
They looked to be sixteen or seventeen, and while in the ninja world that's very much an adult, the hatred in the Jonin's eyes reminded him of his previous reality.
'I thought of them as the same age as me… but truly, they are just children.' Pain shook through his body as he tried to stand up."Cough, cough." Small blobs of blood escaped his mouth as he fought through the pain.
However, his mind was in the same state as his body — complete chaos. 'I killed kids… didn't I…' The thought repeated through his head like a broken pendulum.
He hadn't thought much of it… it was war, and his ideology was clear — 'Kill or be killed.' His hand shook as he picked up his katana. 'Yet… truly, what am I even doing?'
The last words of the Jonin plunged him into reality. 'Your blond hair and dutiful eyes are a lie… you are a monster.'His heart thumped uncertain for a second… yet the very next, instinct took over.
Sweat crossed down his temple as the Kumo Jonin vanished from his side. 'He's too fast… I can't… think about all this right now.'His hair stood, his left arm tensed. His arms widened ferociously — his katana moved through pure instinct alone.
A clean horizontal slash.
'Flame Breathing — First Form: Unknowing Fire.'
His blade sped up, immediately catching the Kumo Jonin off guard. The talwar and the katana clashed together in a terrifying echo of steel.Yet both didn't relent.Their figures blurred in.
Kyojiro, too, upped his intensity — using the breathing style to its utmost maximum. His veins burned from the strain, his already injured bones trembled under the pressure… but he knew.
'I know I can do this,' he shouted mentally. His katana rushed forth. 'Flame Breathing — Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun.'
His katana sliced through the air. The talwar, despite being fast, couldn't help but buckle under the pressure of Kyojiro's strength.
The Kumo Jonin let out a loud, painful groan before flying through the air — crashing between two fighting Genin.
Neither of the Genin attempted to interfere. Anyone with a little common sense knew not to interrupt a battle between Jonin.
The Kumo Jonin spat out a mouthful of blood before locking eyes with Kyojiro.Kyojiro could see the way the man's legs trembled as he stood up. 'He's on his last legs…'
His eyes — a Sharingan blazing in crimson light — captured his every move.
Yet instead of attacking, the Kumo Jonin spoke."You… you killed the very children that looked up to me." Tears dropped from his eyes as he picked up his talwar. "As their senior, if I don't even avenge them… living isn't worth it."
'Huh…' Kyojiro couldn't help but feel goosebumps crawl up his arms. The lightning shroud around the man immediately doubled in intensity.
Kyojiro's eyes sharpened. 'So, it's come to that so soon…' He knew what the man was doing — using all his strength in one final blow.
It didn't matter if the Kumo Jonin survived after this. His body — his very chakra meridians — would be too damaged to continue life as a ninja.
Kyojiro couldn't help but feel an increasing respect for his opponent. His heart thumped not only with excitement but with appreciation.
'He knows he can't defeat me head-on… so he's putting everything on one final strike.'
Kyojiro's arms bulged as he nodded at his opponent. His katana rose upward. His lungs filled to their brim. His chakra surged through his body at its utmost output.
And despite the pain, despite the sheer power coursing through him, Kyojiro muttered,"For what it's worth… I am sorry."
The Kumo Jonin's eyes widened — but it was too late. Their figures vanished from their spots.
'Flame Breathing — Ninth Form: Rengoku!' he shouted.
As if fire itself descended to bless him, his chakra shifted from blue to burning wisps of red. The pain intensified — as if molten lead had been poured down his throat.
Dust shook around him, creating a spectacle for all shinobi to watch.
A dragon — a silhouette of imagination — yet it represented his will, his decision.
A familiar sentence rang in his mind.
'Set your heart ablaze.'
The next second, the ninjas met midair — their katana and talwar clashing in a blinding explosion.
For a moment, their blades struggled, yet soon, the talwar, unable to withstand the brunt of Kyojiro's strength, shattered in half.
The Kumo Jonin let out a hateful cry before his very being was silenced.
BOOM.
The entire area shook. The ground cracked apart, and the ninjas fighting nearby couldn't help but step back.
Their eyes focused on the dust cloud.
It was hard to miss a battle of such scale — even amidst their own fights, they caught glimpses of the blurs: one golden, another white.
Yet as the dust cleared, the answer was certain.
The fiery-haired ninja crouched on the ground — his figure drenched in blood and sweat, a beacon of strength.
Beside him stood the headless body of the Kumo Jonin. Despite having no head, the body didn't fall — undefeated to the very end.
Kyojiro himself couldn't help but look at the towering form of the ninja before turning toward the fallen head.His eyes widened at the sight before him.
Even in death, the man's eyes were directed toward the kids.
'I am truly sorry… for your loss.'